The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, it is!
A special thank-you to Karen and English Major for solving the question that has been bugging me for the past decade.
So I requested the book from the library, and I am so excited about reading it. I love young adult books – I feel all nostalgic when I read them, and the print all appear so large to me and the books feel so short now.
Does this mean that we’re growing up?
So in the spirit of sharing, here are some of my all-time favorites. Chime in with your own in the comments!
- The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
- A Day When No Pigs Will Die
- Where the Red Fern Grows (I love Old Dan and Little Ann)
- Hating Alison Ashley (also requested this book from the library)
- The Little House series
- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
- The Boxcar Children series
As I “graduated” from childhood, I began reading Fear Street by R.L. Stein, all the Lois Duncan books (one of my favorite? Locked In Time).
And here is my favorite young adult “romance” of all time: The Witch of the Blackbird Pond (Oh, Kit and Nat… even accusations of witchcraft can’t tear these two apart).
I loved “Tiger Eyes” by Judy Blume. I would check it out from my middle school library and read it over and over again.
I loved the Boxcar Children too, but My Side of the Mountain was probably my favorite book as a kid. I also read a lot of books about boys and their dogs, such as Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard.
I used to live for the Boxcar Children!
The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler is another big favorite, I used to read that one over and over.
Also, I think I spent wayyyy too much money on those Sweet Valley High books, not the greatest pieces of literature haha.
I’ve read Little Women probably over 20 times. I also love the Anne of Green Gables series. And recently I reread Philip Pullman’s earlier Sally Lockhart trilogy, though I also love His Dark Materials. Oh, and Abarat by Clive Barker! *sigh* I love YA reads…
Ella Enchanted is still awesome. I fell in love with it in university! The King’s Daughter, which is about a girl from France who came to help settle the new world in the 1700’s, I believe. The Swiss Family Robinson. But honestly, Ella Enchanted is amazing and so much better than the movie (which was NOT the story at all!).
Babysitters Club!!
haha i’m right with kforkeely. LOVED the boxcar kids. just hearing that brings back so many memories of sunny days in hammocks. Any whew sweet valley high. Did i hear correctly, and they’re releasing new ones?
I loved “The true confessions of Charlotte Doyle” and the “Little House Series” (like you)
I loved loved LOVED “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” and “The Giver”…they might be a little younger than your mystery book, but I could read them over and over again!!! Actually, I just made M read “The Giver” and we had this amazing conversation about the ending – have you read that book?? What do you think happens to Jonas???
Love your blog! Just added you on my blogroll!
“From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.” Ahhh, I loved that one so much.
I am WAY excited to read Wolves! I reread the entire Little House series last year, as well as A Little Princess, Island of The Blue Dolphins and a bunch of the Dark Secret of Witherind books. I cannot think of that authors name for the life of me. John Bellairs? YES!
I loved all of Madeleine L’Engle’s books, starting with “A Wrinkle in Time.”
Wow, this post and comments are bringing back memories! I too loved:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
The Book of Three (and all the High King books)
The Witch of Blackbird Pond (amazing!!)
The Boxcar Children
Another series I loved was the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard. There are about 40 or so books, sort of a combo of historical fiction and mystery. Not the “young Mandie” books, just the regular ones.
In fact, I’m going to look for some of these at my local library on my next trip. What a nice way to take a walk down memory lane!
I’ll jump in with love for (there are many more than just the ones below though):
~ True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
~ all Boxcar Children
~ Bobsey Twins
~ Nancy Drew books
~ Witch of Blackbird Pond
~ the collection of Little House on the Prairie books
~ Madeleine L’Engle books (not just the Wrinkle in Time series)
~ Sharon Creech books (I’ve only read 2, but I continued to re-read them: Walk Two Moons and Absolutely Normal Chaos)
~ Babysitter’s Club
~ Sweet Valley High / Sweet Valley twins
~ Ella Enchanted
~ Narnia chronicles
~ The Riding Academy (I liked books with sequels and series, apparently!)
~ a book where a girl travelled through time with the pocketwatch she found under the floorboard while she was stuck at her mom’s childhood home for a summer (I read others by that author and enjoyed them as well) – no idea what it’s called. The cover had the picture of a girl sitting on the floor of a cabin holding the gold pocketwatch though.
Ok, well, let’s just say I love many young adult books! I’m always more drawn to grab a book from my childhood to re-read instead of an “adult” book – there’s just something that’s more “fun”, I guess. I used to love going to the library, and having school book sales (I actually volunteered at them – yay, no class and cold winter recesses! – and my thank you gift at the end of the week was to choose any book I wanted off the shelves.)
Some of these books have also travelled with me to university (because you never do enough reading there!) and currently line the walls of my first apartment. If I had room, all of my childhood favourites would be here.
Doris: I had forgotten The Giver, that was another one of my all time favorites.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase was one of my favorite childhood books! Thank you for bringing back a memory. Gonna have to find it now.
Also loved The Witch of Blackbird Pond. my first romance novel! 
I loved the Boxcar Children! Also, “The Giver” by Lois Lawry (I think? lol). I need to read that book again. It was amazin!